Yogurt parfaits are a new-found love in our house – there’s just something about the crunchiness of the granola mixed with the creaminess of the yogurt that we love! My kids are still getting used to also adding in fresh fruits, but I love the added health benefit and think it’s such an easy and fun way to eat fruits. When Walmart asked us to create a recipe with cherries and blueberries for the summer, I immediately thought of a red, white, and blue parfait, perfect for a cool summer snack or as a treat for a Fourth of July party! Read on to see how easy it is to make your own, plus a little tip I learned about choosing blueberries!

How to Choose Fresh Blueberries

I don’t usually purchase fresh blueberries, since it’s not a fruit we eat often, so the information provided to us by Walmart really came in handy. To choose fresh blueberries, you should pick firm, plump berries with an indigo color and a silvery white frost. You want to avoid a green or red tint, as it’s a sign the berries are not quite ripe. If you’re buying prepackaged blueberries, as I did, then check to be sure there’s no juice stains on the bottom of the container and that there’s no (or few) crushed berries inside.

Ready to make your own blueberry and cherry parfait with your fresh berries?

Strawberries are in season for spring, so it’s a great time to buy them at lower prices than you might find the rest of the year. Strawberries are great for many recipes, like these strawberry and cream cheese pastelitos (a puff pastry dessert) you’re sure to love. We also love to make smoothies with strawberries – other than eating fresh strawberries, it’s probably one of our most preferred ways to eat strawberries. My girl absolutely loves smoothies – in fact, you can see our pineapple mango smoothie recipe I shared a while back!

One thing that does stop me from buying fresh strawberries more often is the fear of them spoiling before I can use them all; I just don’t like wasting fresh fruit. But, a little tip I learned is to freeze strawberries before they spoil and use them later, which is perfect for making smoothies! Since the strawberries are already cold, they really work well for mixing in smoothies. This helps so that I can take advantage of strawberry season and buy fresh strawberries from stores like Walmart.

Smoothies for an after-school snack or breakfast are perfect for kids. They’re easy to make, plus you can add a few fruits to get the most out of them and pack those vitamins in for the kids (or yourself). I love mixing strawberries with bananas for a strawberry banana smoothie, but recently I added mango in as well and we loved the flavor! Check out this simple, easy recipe for making your own strawberry, banana, and mango smoothie at home!

From many moms, I have learned how difficult it is to get kids to eat their veggies. I thought a great idea would be to combine zucchini with cheese, making for a delicious way to introduce this vegetable to children using familiar flavors. This is what you will need:

Steps:

Add the zucchini and let it cook for 5 minutes – don’t cook it too long as you want the veggies to be crunchy.

Add the crème fresh and the seasonings; combine well.

Top with cheese and cover for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

This is a delicious and inexpensive way to introduce your children to zucchini; it’s also super quick! You can serve this recipe as a soup, side dish to a main course, or eat as an entrée. This is a great option for dinner or a quick lunch. If you want to reduce the calories, replace the crème fresh with Greek yogurt, the butter with olive oil, and the cheese with a low-fat option.

Enjoy!

Adriana Martin is a Latina, born in Mexico, a wife, friend, step-mom, grandmother, and animal lover. A marketing strategist by profession, she is truly a chef at heart. Her recipes are based on inspiration – a flavor, a spice, the smell of fresh fruit or an herb. Her motto: “Simple ingredients can create masterpieces.” To learn more visit: http://www.adrianasbestrecipes.com/